Lid assembly



Oct. 2l, 1952 H. w. wHlTMoRE LID ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29. 1947 INVENTOR.

HARLAND W. WHITMORE ATTORN EYS Oct. 21, 1952 Filed- Sept 29, 1947 H. w. WHITMORE 2,614,719

LID ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

HARLAND WWHITMO RE l ATTO RN EYS Oct. 2l, 1952 H. w. wHlTMoRE LID ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 29. 1947 ATTORNEYS Y thermal .insulating properties.

[may be provided with one o speciiic construction of' the,y of thei instant invention but,l

Patented oci. 21, .1952

Har-lana W."

'1 Lm A'sslaziiimfv v Whitmore, Kenosha, Wis., assignor 'to Motor ProductsxCorpox-ation, Detroit,`Mich'.,`

acorp'oration of New York Application separater 29, 1947. s eriaiNo. 776.745

6 Clarins'. `(C1. 22o- 35) The jinvention yrelates to lid or cover constructionsdesijgned'for use in connection with open top cabinetsor' receptacles, such as refrigerators.

It is theobject of the invention to obtain -a rv(':onstrnctio'nwhich combines strength and rigid- `and :good

ity with comparatively light weight Itis .'affurther object tof fp rovideimeans-i011?r securing .the lid to h'ingesatgon'eedge thereof .and

to an oper-ating handle and locking means at the opposite edge. r With these objects y in view the invention consists inthe Aconstruction as. hereinfafter set forth. l

Inthe drawings: j ;l Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe lid Fig. 2 is a; front elevati-on thereof;

` snowing the .attach-ment. means for' onejof 'the hinges; and

' Figs. 4, 5"and 6 are sections,' respectively; on

features ofthe construction; and

'Rig'. 7 is an enlarged crosssection on line '1 -1, Fig. 1.

A is a pressed sheet metal member of substanvtially rectangular form but with roundedcorners, said member including a top'portion A' and a depending'filange A2 extendingaround all Sides thereof. The member A is preferably formed of relatively light gauge metal and to strengthen the -same it is provided with ltransversely extending reinforcement lmembers1B; These are preferably fof channel `cross section"`and jare fashionediat their opposite ends to fit aroundthe V depending iiangeA2 to which they 'are secured by.'welding.,`V f Also the members B extendbbli'quely .acrossv the;

member,,A-y and are spaced farther ap-artat the :rear edgeof said member and..closer together at the front edge. `The members B are themselves preferablyiorrned of pressed sheet metal'and in addition to the dependingr side flanges B'f, .which [form the `channel cross vSectior1, tl:ie web ,f nionticpri.'B2

giagrammaticauyillustrated, one member of each to the depending portion B5; of. thereinforcement; member B so that the load of the coveris i transmitted through such `reinforcement rnern-` ber `directly tothe hinge. y' Thelovver e'dgenf the .-'f depending :ange- A2 isf preferably return Vbent as indicated at A? and is then extended horizontally inwardto form a flange A4. D is va lining member for thev lid preferably lformed'o'f Vpressed plastic -Iaterial and having its marginal portions secured to vthe'ange A'. A s shown the liningmeihber D "has a cer'i'traly portion D' kdepressed belowth'eflevel of thelange A4 and an upwardly and routwardly inclined marginal portion rD2 extending to the f pointo'f attachment to said flange. There is also afsealingga'sket E secured to the flange A41.' Preferably thisfgasket E is a tubular member of rubber or similar material provided withanangular shan-k portion yE whichy is `securedl irith fjangl'e between the portions A? and A4.l Thusfwhen the lidiSs'eaI-ed ln 'a cabinet such as Fythe'tubeE will beslightly `deformed to'l obtain aJrr-"eiective seal around the entire margin Eof thco've'r and a horizontal flange E2 of the' angle shank portion E" can 'be secured between'thefmembers `E and flange A4 to complete the Sealihgfvconnectio'n with the latter.

Mythenom edge of the ne isanandie G, the constructionof which is not a part of the instant invention. II `3`weve'r,` toY transmit 'stresses from :this handle tothe lidanv angle cross sectin'rein-` 'gforcementniember H is securedtoa'nd extends valong the innerf-ace n ofthe'iiange AZIatF-the front lsideoftheiid.

f f To produceA erretivethermr`insu1ation; the

."space between'fthe member vvA andthe liner D is To provide illumination l Jmis located-inside of theilid to register With a j transparent Window K. 'lhis bulbv is connected iilledwith a suitable loose insul'a represented by I.

ting material l I ii-thermen@ or the refrigerator when the lid 'is'openalamp, bulb 4into an-felectric-lcircuit'includinga switch member Lhav'ing'a qependingignqoor actuatin'gjmember L which, when the lid'is seated, will beactuated 'by an adjacent portion L2 oithe cabinet tobreak fthe circuit-to the lampi." Ontlieotherhandfwheh y 4 the lid isi'aised' the switch 'L' will Aautiur'x aticfally return to closed position io'r eieoti ng fillumina- ,'lished in an upward directionjbut thereinforcing "members B are rectilinear..Y

` yThis. formsjfin .the l'asselriblya'space Bf* between the top A, andthe member B. Preferably a damping pad Iff'o'flsitable'insulating or sound .deadening*material is located inthespaceB4 to prevent metal tomjetal contact and `thereby prevent 4objectioiable noise.` y 'Asishown in .Figure 3,'. each ofthe hinges'C.` has ',ajfhinge partfCf disposedinsilriace.to surfaceY vg-"relati'on lv'vith.th'eenterA side of depending ange vturned end portion B5 ofv 'each -channel-shaped tween lsaid hinge y `Also as shown, thev doWn` reinforcing member Bis disposed with the base or web portion B2 thereof in surface to surface relation with the inner side of depending flange A2.

Common securing means are provided at each hinge connection for securing the cover to the respective hinge parts C. Said securing means are in the form of suitable bolts N which extend through hinge part C', Washer M, base Bz and depending flange A2, and which, in cooperation with nuts P, serve to hold the same together.

Thus the load of the panel or cover will be transfered through each reinforcing bar B vdirectly to the hinges, thereby avoiding distortion of the cover.

with the construction as above described the lid can be readily swung upward on its hinges to provide access to the cabinet and, when redepending flange, means for reinforcing said panel, including a pair of laterally spaced bars extending across the underside of said panel and vhaving downturned end portions secured to the turned to seated position, will produce an efective air seal around its entire margin.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet having an opening, of a closure for said opening having a cover portion comprising a relatively light gauge sheet metal panel having a marginal depending flange, and means for rein- 2. The combination with a refrigeratorcabiynet having an opening, of a closure for said opening having a cover portion comprising a relatively ylight gauge sheet metal panel having a marginal depending flange, means for reinforcing said light gauge sheet metal panel, including a bar extending acrossthe underside of said panel and kterminally secured in surface to surface relation to said depending flange at opposite edges of said cover, and means for mounting said closure upon Ya refrigerator cabinet, including a hinge having apart secured to said depending Yflange and portion vof said bar in surface to surface relation thereto.

3. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet having an opening, of a closure for said opening having a cover portion comprising a relatively light gauge sheet metal panel having a marginal .depending flange, means for reinforcing said light gauge sheet metal panel, including a channel-shaped metal bar extending across the underside of `said panel and having downturned end portions upon the inner sides of the depending marginal flange of said panel, the base of said channel-shaped bar being rigidly secured in surface to surface relation to the inner side of said depending marginal flange, a hinge Vfor ysaid closure having a part'upon the outer side of said depending marginal flange, and means securing' said hinge in assembled relation with said closure, including a fastening element extending through said depending flange and the baseof said channel-shaped bar.

4.'The combination with a refrigerator cabimarginaldepending flange, means for reinforcing said panel, including a pair of laterally spaced 4 and having downturned end portions secured to the inner side of said depending marginal flange at longitudinally vspaced points thereof, and means for mounting said closure upon a refrigerator cabinet, vincluding hinges upon the outer side of said depending flange and respectively securedto said downturned end portions of said liars.r I y i y I l 5 The combination with a refrigerator cabinet having an opening, of a closure for said opening having a cover portion comprising a relatively light gauge sheet metal panel having a marginal inner side of said depending marginal flange at longitudinally spaced points thereof, and means for :mounting said closure upon a refrigerator cabinet, including two hinges having parts upon the outer side of said depending flange at spaced points corresponding to the spaced points aforesaid of the end portions of said bars, and means vnet having an opening, of a closure for said opening having 'a` cover portion comprising a relavtively light gauge sheet metal panel having a securing said hinges to said' closure including `fastening elements extending through said depending ilange and said downturned end portions of said bars. j

6. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet having an opening, of a closure for said opening having a cover portion comprising a relatively light gauge sheet metal panel having a marginal depending ange, means for reinforcing said light gauge sheet metal panel, including a channel-shaped metal bar extending across the underside of said panel and having downturned end portions upon the inner sides of the depending marginal flange of said panel, the base of said channel-shaped bar being next to and cooperating with the underside of said panel to form a pocket, and a damping pad in said pocket and Vpreventing'metal to` metal contact between s aid bar and said panel.,

n `IIARLAND W. WHITMORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED l STATES PATENTS Number Name Date y 322,267 Eaton et al. July 14, 1885 608,684 Kahn Aug. 9, 1898 1,098,920 Rubispierra v June 2, 1914 1,112,709 Loehler .Oct. 6, 1914 1,475,567 Ball Nov. 27, 1923 1,511,719 Y Collins Oct. 14, 1924 1,734,527 'Mueller Nov. 5, 1929 2,007,154 Bowes July 9, 1935 2,010,799 Sexton Aug. 6, 1935 2,068,532 Boddy Jan. 19, 1937 2,073,981 Woodruff Mar. 16, 1937 `2,148,778 Seeger Feb, 28, 1939 2,148,787 Thomas ,Feb. 28, 1939 2,239,511 West Apr. 22, 1941 2,262,405 Peterson Nov. 11, 1941 2,268,517 Small Dec. 30, 1941 2,321,753 King June 15, 1943 2,329,752 Goulooze Sept. 21, 1943 2,341,648 Parr Feb. 15, 1944 2,375,880 Yoxsimer May 15, 1945 2,429,495 Stupell Oct. 21, 1947 2,486,508 Szymczyk Nov. 1, 1949 2,546,166 Pfefferkorn Mar. 27, 1951 

